Subaru Land-and-Air (concept design)

(Image credit: Subaru)

Land-and-Air (concept design)
Subaru
Ebisu, Shibuya, Japan
www.subaru.co.jp

Founded on July 15, 1953 in Japan, Subaru is a automobile manufacturing division of the Japanese transportation conglomerate Subaru Corporation (formerly known as Fuji Heavy Industries). Fuji Heavy Industries traces its roots to the Nakajima Aircraft Company (founded in 1918 in Tokyo, Japan), a leading supplier of airplanes to the Japanese government during World War II. Fuji Heavy Industries was incorporated on July 15, 1953. Subaru Corporation's aerospace division is a defense contractor to the Japanese government, manufacturing training aircraft, Boeing 777 and Boeing 787 center wings and Boeing and Lockheed Martin helicopters, airplanes and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) under license. Fuji Heavy Industries changed its name to Subaru Corporation on April 1, 2017.

On May 13, 2020, Subaru Corporation filed a patent application with the US Patent and Trademark Office (published on March 4, 2021) for a hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) motorcycle which can drive on the road and transform to fly in the air for advanced air mobility (AAM).

Land-and-Air passenger hybrid-electric VTOL and motorcycle concept design vehicle
The Land-and-Air is a one passenger hybrid-electric VTOL and and motorcycle concept design ground vehicle. The fuselage is based on a motorcycle frame and to which VTOL components have been added to make the vehicle fly. Few specifications have been revealed by Subaru with their VTOL and ground vehicle. According to the patent, the rider will have the option to drive and fly the motorcycle using a steering wheel and/or a joy stick.

For flying, the motorcycle has a tiltwing, a tail, has three propellers, 11 electric motors, and is powered by an internal combustion engine and battery packs. When in flight, the combustion engine powers a generator creating electricity for the batter packs that power the electric motors which turn the propellers. In addition, both motorcycle wheels retract into the fuselage during flight.

For ground travel, the tiltwings retract to the sides of the motorcycle, the two wheels lower into their ground position and the combustion engine powers the rear wheel. The vehicle also has a canopy over the cockpit, a fuselage, specialized controls, avionics and other electronics associated for this specialized vehicle. The fuselage and wings are made from carbon fiber composite for a high strength to low weight ratio.

According to patent sketches, the propellers on the wing will have five electric motors in each nacelle and there will be at least one electric motor powering the rear VTOL propeller. The controls are just like a motorcycle making it easy for an experienced motorcycle to handle the vehicle. For flight controls, there two additional levers on the handle bar to control the speed of the propellers. Foot controls are also used to adjust the angle of the wings and the footpegs control the aircraft's roll.

Future
As of August 2024, no information has been released by Subaru if a prototype vehicle has ever been made.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: Passenger hybrid-electric VTOL motorcycle and hoverbike
• Piloting: 1 pilot
• Cruise speed: Unknown
• Propellers: 3 propellers
• Electric Motors: 11 electric motors total. Each propeller nacelle has 5 electric motors. 1 electric motor powers the rear VTOL propeller.
• Power source: Hybrid-electric gas engine generating electricity for the propellers and for the onboard batteries
• Fuselage: Carbon fiber composite
• Windows: Canopy over cockpit and a window in each door
• Wings: 1 main tiltwing that folds inward during ground travel
• Tail: 1 vertical stabilizer, 1 horizontal stabilizer
• Landing gear: Motorcycle wheels. The wheels retract into the fuselage during flight

Related Aircraft:

• Subaru Air Mobility Concept (concept design)

Company Insights:

• Crunchbase
• MarketWatch
• Pitchbook

Resources:

• Subaru website
• Subaru Facebook
• Subaru X (formerly Twitter)
• Subaru Instagram
• Subaru YouTube Channel
• Article: It's No Joke: Subaru is Developing a Flying Motorcycle, Motorcycle, Apr. 1, 2021
• Article: Subaru Designs a Flying Motorcycle with Wings and Everything, Autoevolution, Apr. 3, 2021
• Article: Subaru Is Designing a Flying Motorcycle, a New Patent Suggests, Robb Report, Apr. 5, 2021
• Article: Subaru Working On A Flying Motorcycle, AVweb, Apr. 6, 2021